A Beginner’s Guide To Drinking Sake

What is sake, and how do you order it without looking like an idiot? In this sake video, Paul Birtwistle, the General Manager of Toko and Australia’s first sake sommelier, give us some insights of sake brewing and sake tasting.

Sake is an alcoholic beverage produced using the multi-parallel fermentation of rice, where the rice starch is broken down into sugar which is then in turn transformed to alcohol. The sake is then filtered (to remove solids) and sometimes diluted (with water), with the resulting liquid being clear and displaying characteristics similar to that of a wine. This sake brewing process enables sake to have a higher alcohol content than that of beer.

Paul’s advice to sake beginners is, “Sake is there to be enjoyed, first and foremost. Experiment as much as you can and try to ask as many questions as possible.” Enjoy the surprises you encounter on the way of sake tasting!